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371 So. 2d 946

Dillard v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Decided November 21, 1978

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama · decided 1978-11-21

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently May 1981

3 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“"DEFENDANT'S REQUESTED CHARGE NO. 27 "`If you have a reasonable doubt of Defendant's guilt growing out of the evidence or any part of it , you must acquit him.'" (Emphasis added.)”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 371 So. 2d 947 - Dillard v. State

Relies on Tillman v. State · Ex parte State ex rel. Attorney General

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1978-11-21

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

BOWEN W. SIMMONS, Retired Circuit Judge.

¶1Appellant was tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. The victim was John Dewayne Smith. This is an indigent appeal.

¶2It is not necessary to set out the evidence or any part thereof. Suffice it is the trial court refused to give appellant’s written charge 27 which reads:

“DEFENDANT’S REQUESTED CHARGE NO. 27
“If you have a reasonable doubt of Defendant’s guilt growing out of the evidence or any part of it, you must acquit him.”

¶3We fail to find in the record that this charge was covered by the oral charge or written charges requested and given by the court.

¶4The court committed reversible error in its refusal to give this charge. Tillman v. State, Ala.Cr.App., 360 So.2d 1074, cert. den. Ala., 360 So.2d 1075; and cited cases.

¶5We pretermit considering other contentions of error. Perhaps these same rulings asserted to be error will not be invoked at the next trial.

¶6Because of the court’s error in refusing charge 27, supra, the judgment is reversed and the cause is remanded for disposition as required by law.

¶7The foregoing opinion was prepared by the Honorable BOWEN W. SIMMONS, a retired Circuit Judge, serving as a Judge of this Court, under the provisions of § 6.10, of the new Judicial Article (Constitutional Amendment No. 328); his opinion is hereby adopted as that of the Court.

¶8REVERSED AND REMANDED.

All the Judges concur.
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